Thigh protector or guard for football players



Feb. 14, 1928.

L. W. HARDAGE THIGH PROTECTOR OR GUARD FOR FOOTBALL PLAYERS 2 Sheets*$heet l Filed July'r. 192a gwomtov L. W. HARDAGE THIGH PROTECTOR 0R GUARD FOR FOOTBALL PLAYERS Feb. 14, 1928.

Filed July '7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 anoewto'a Lav/Xe W/[ardqe MIR ' improvements inthigh protectors or guards Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

I UNITED v LEWIE WJHARDAG O NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

THIGH rnornc'ron on Gamm n roo'riaAnnrnaYnns.

Application area m 7,

This invention relates to new and useful for football players. v v 'Amongst the several objects of'my invention are to provide a pneumatic thigh encircling guard whichwillprotect the wearer from injury; to provide sucha guardfrom moisture-proof material whereby moisture or perspiration will not be. absorbed thereby; top'rovide such a guard from superposed sheets of nonporous-material having their marginal edges sealed and having the sheets vention will be more clearly understood by following the description, 1 the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is'aperspective viewof apairof football trousers equipped with my invention, '7 r I Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional vview taken through one of the thigh guards, Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the guards,

Figure 1 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 4- 1 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 1, and y Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view taken of the guard showing the air inlet tube.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the'several figures of the drawings. r I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a pair of football trousersineluding leg portions 5-5 and a waist por- Associated with each leg portion 5 and preferably attached to saidportion, a means hereinafter described, is a'thigh protector or guard B. 7

Each guard comprises superposed sheets 7 and 8 of non-porous material which preferably includes a rubber base. lfhese sheets 1926. Serial No. i20,949.

7 and 8 have theirmarginal edge portions sealed, preferably by vulcanizing. These sealed margi al edge' portions are indicated by the numerals 9 10,; 11 and 12 respectively; the sealedportions 9"and"10 extending longitudinally oryer'tically, thesealedportion 11 extending along the bottom and horizontally and the sealed portion 12'extendinggenen' ally in a mammal direction along the top. The lowerfedge of [the guard preferably extends along a straight. line, whereas the upper edge of the guard preferably. prescribes a substantially compound curve n T order to fit the leg of the wearer and at the same time cover a inaiiimum amount of the thigh. The vulcanized orf sealed portions 9,10, 11 "and 12are' relatively wide in order to form flat marginal edge. portion. The

sheets 7 "and .8, intermediate the marginal sealed edge portions, are'also sealed', preferably by vulcanizing, along spaced parallel lines as indicated by the numerals 13, 14, 15, '16, 17 and 18 to provide resultant air passages'19, 20, 21, .22, 23, '24, and 25. Thev'ulcanized lines to 18 inclusive preferably extend. from the top marginal sealed portion 12'downwardly towards, but in spaced relation'to, the bottom-sealed marginal edge portion 11 to form resultant air passages 26, 27, 28,29, '30 andflb l which afford open communicationbetweenall of the air chan-' nels19 to 25 inclusive.

Communicating with the upper end of one of the air channels, preferably the channel 19, is an air inlet valve 32 which may be of any suitable construction but which is pref- .erably formed of a flexible rubber tube adapted to be folded over and tied after the guard has been inflated. The valve 32 projects outwardly from the air channel 19 and is protected against damage by ears 32-32 which extend on opposite sides thereof and are formed integral with the sheets 7 and 8.

. Fastening means are provided with each guard for adjustably securing theguard to the leg of the wearer. To this end, the fiat sealed marginal portion 9 isprovided with In order to provide'means for distributthigh, and the lower rear portion of the plate ing an impact over the several air channels 19 to 25, I have provided a plate 41 of relatively stitlj' material, preferably fibre board.

This plate positioned against the outer face of the guard and is permanently secured thereto by upper and lower ri ets 3'7 and 38, as particularly shown in Fig. l. The plate is curved horizontally totit the leg of the wearer. The guard together with its attached distributing plate 11 may be permanently attached to the leg of the football trousers by means of lower and upper eyelets 39 and 4.0 which are respectively secured to the lower and upper marginal portions 11 and. 12 oi? the guard, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5.

The guard is positioned on the corresponding leg in such a manner that the distributing plate +21 is located partially on the front and partially on the outer side of the leg or 41 is cutaway as this to afford freedom for I leg movement ot the player.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangements 0t parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim: r I

LA pneumatic protector for football players comprising a guard formed of superposed sheets of non-porous elastic material, the sheets being sealed along their edges and also. sealed at spaced points intermediate the edges to form communicating air channels, avalve connected to the guard and communicating with one of said air channels, a plurality of eyelets secured to the sealed edge of one side of the guard, an elastic strip secured to the sealed edge of the other side of the guard, a plurality of o ets secured to the outer side edge of the elastic strip, and a lacing threaded through said eyelets tor adj ustably securing the guard in position. v

Q. A. thigh protector for football players comprising a pneumatic thigh encircling guard in combination with a plate of stiff material secured to the outer face of the guard. i

3. A thigh protector for football players comprising a pneumatic thigh encircling guard in combination with a plate'of stitl' material secured to the outer face of the guard, the lower edge ott' the plate being cut away to afford freedom of leg movement to the wearer. r

4:. A pneumatic thigh protector for foobball players coi'nprising a guard formed at superposed sheets of non-porous elastic material, the sheets being sealed along their edges and also sealed at spaced points intermediate theedges to form communicating air channels, a valve connectedto the guard and communicating with one of said air channels, a plate of still material positioned against the outer face of the guard, and means securing the plate'to the guard at points along the upper and lowersealed edge portions of the guard.

The combination with a pairlof football trousers having leg portions, of a pneumatic thigh protector attached to each legportion, and a plate of stiff material positioned against the outer face of each protector and attached to said protector.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LEWIE W. HARDAGE. 

